Finally, after much lobbying, Orange users who have an HTC Hero can finally update their mobile operating system to version 2.1. This Google Android update has been long in the making and has inspired many customers to plead and complain about the delayed update on a certain Facebook group. The update is scheduled to be up and live by the end of this week.

The delay has certainly irked many consumers, basically because Orange has not been up front and transparent about the release date of the patch. News of Google Android version 2.2 also make their loyal subscribers think about how much delayed they are going to get the upgrade, if at all. The official press release of the two companies issued last Tuesday stated that the cause of the so called delay may be attributed to extensive testing all across Europe.

“We apologise for the delay in Orange Hero customers receiving their Eclair update. Testing the update across European markets took longer than anticipated. However, we hope to receive final approval by the end of the week and Orange handsets should start updating from next week.”

Of course, this makes plenty of sense, updates are hard to roll out, most especially if they have the potential of rendering key functions useless. After Orange and HTC’s guarantee that they did indeed conduct a thorough test and that the version 2.1 update is now ready, it should quell any doubts of the operating system’s efficiency after the update.

The first part of the update is already being distributed across channels for the Orange HTC users. The new press release at least confirms when the second part of the update will reach subscribers.

Sure, Orange and HTC have a way of not following through with update schedules for the HTC Hero, but in light of the first part of the update being released, the second element is surely not so far behind.

One of UK’s largest online retailers, eXpansys, has announced that they will be offering the Acer Stream smart phone this coming August 9. The device is expected to bring in a new era of Acer devices.

While the Liquid series of Android smart phones from Acer was quite interesting, no other device from the computer manufacturer is as compellingly engrossing as the Stream. And by engrossed, we mean it in both the hardware and the form factor. The handset itself simply looks good –a definite first for Acer. While the beTouch and Liquid devices were decent smart phones, the Stream is a solid notch above all the rest. The phone’s form factor, color and texture give it a balance in design that is hard to deny.

Specs wise, the Stream matches up nicely with the Google Nexus One and the HTC Desire. The phone also packs a 3.7 inch AMOLED capacitive touch screen display with a resolution of 480 x 800 pixels, a 5 mega pixel camera, plenty of internal storage, the Android operating system (according to reports, will come loaded with Android 2.1 Éclair. An update to 2.2 Froyo is expected to be made available soon), support for GPS, WiFi, Bluetooth, microSD cards and more. Basically, it’s the whole smart phone package.

Acer is also going to feature the Acer Touch 3D user interface. With the handset’s 1GHz Qualcomm Snapdragon CPU, running the graphics and effects on the handset will be a breeze.

With several Android devices already available on the market, Acer’s latest offering is a testament to how influential the Google operating system has become. It is expected that several more Android smart phone will be released before the end of the year, making this year the most prolific in terms of the number of Android devices released within the period.

The HTC Desire was officially launched in March of this year. Since then, it has amassed a considerable amount of rave reviews which all send their praises towards this remarkable device. We must agree; the Desire is definitely one of the best. However, it isn’t perfect. Below are some aspects of the device that might need some fine-tuning before the Desire is deemed as THE Smartphone for 2010.

The Upside

Before anything else, we must give credit where it is due. There are more than a few things that we like about the HTC Desire. For starters, the 3.7” touch screen displays delivers vivid images of the highest quality (480 x 800 pixels). Then there’s the HTC Sense user interface on the device which makes the Android Eclair even better than it already is. Another notable feature is the web browser on the Desire which is pretty fast and also has Flash support. It’s also worth pointing out that the HTC Desire deals currently on offer are very impressive.

The Downside

As mentioned before, the HTC Desire is a pretty awesome device. However, this doesn’t mean that it does not have its own flaws. One of the biggest criticisms of the device is that although its AMOLED display delivers high resolution image outputs, it’s actually quite difficult to see when your outdoors and once the sun’s glare hits it. Also, some of the widgets on the device may need a few adjustments here and there. To some, the Android still appear to be a bit too geeky and the physical design of the device doesn’t quite match the appeal of the HTC Legend.

Final Judgement

The HTC Desire packs in all the features you’d expect from a Smartphone. This in itself should be enough to make it a contender as one of the best of the year. Its awesome interface backed up by a powerful processor guarantees an enhanced user experience. While it may lack the sexiness of the Legend or perhaps even the iPhone, the Desire is still worth a second look.